Varroa destructor is the main parasitic threat to Apis mellifera colonies worldwide and represents a major concern for honey bee health and apicultural sustainability. Oxalic acid (OA) is widely used for the control of varroosis; however, its efficacy is strongly influenced by the presence of capped brood. This pilot field study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combined treatment protocol based on Api-Bioxal® administered by trickling and sublimation. The study was carried out in a permanent apiary located in the province of Bergamo (Northern Italy) from October 2024 to February 2025 and involved ten A. mellifera colonies housed in Dadant-Blatt hives. The experimental protocol consisted of one OA trickling treatment followed by two OA sublimations and a control treatment with amitraz. Treatment-induced mite fall was recorded daily for 117 days; brood presence, ambient temperature and pollen influx were monitored throughout the study period, and colony strength was assessed at the beginning and end of the trial using the Liebefeld method. Differences between pre- and post-treatment measurements were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. An overall mean of 563.6 Varroa mites per colony was recorded as treatment-induced mite fall. The highest efficacy of OA was observed when treatments were applied in broodless conditions, whereas the presence of capped brood markedly reduced acaricidal efficacy. No abnormal honey bee mortality or adverse effects on colony health were observed. Colony strength increased in 8 out of 10 colonies, with statistically significant differences between pre- and post-treatment assessments (p < 0.012). These results indicate that Varroa destructor populations remain susceptible to oxalic acid when treatments are properly timed in relation to brood presence. A combined protocol of OA trickling and sublimation may enhance varroosis control without negative effects on colony health. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm these preliminary findings and to support evidence-based adjustments to national Varroa control guidelines.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence, larval development, host suitability, and yield effects of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) on maize and selected alternative host plants to support informed pest management decisions. Study Design: Laboratory and pot experiments arranged in a Completely Randomized Design. Place and Duration of Study: School of Agricultural Technology Laboratory, YABATECH, during both rainy and dry seasons of 2022 - 2023. Methodology: Larval development of Spodoptera frugiperda was assessed on maize, amaranthus, sweet potato, and cowpea. Head capsule width, body morphology, number of larval instars, and duration of larval and pupal stages were measured. Growth parameters and yield components of host plants were evaluated and compared with uninfested control treatments. Results: Six larval instars were confirmed on all hosts. Mean growth ratios of head capsule width conformed to Dyar’s rule: 1.52 (amaranthus), 1.48 (maize), 1.50 (cowpea), and 1.54 (sweet potato). The total larval-pupal period was shortest on maize and amaranthus (14 days) and longest on cowpea and sweet potato (15 days). Strong linear relationships (R² ≥ 0.98) were found between instar progression and head capsule width. Infested plants showed significant reductions in leaf area, plant height, and leaf number compared to controls. Conclusion: Maize and amaranthus are highly suitable host plants for Spodoptera frugiperda, supporting rapid larval development and causing significant growth and yield losses. These findings highlight the need for prioritized monitoring and integrated management strategies on both primary and alternative host crops.

Abstract The potassium (K) balance is a key indicator of the suitability and sustainability of grassland nutrient management practices. K input levels can impact soil fertility, biomass yield and herbage quality. This study evaluated data from a long-term grassland experiment established in 1970 in Northern Ireland with eight treatments: control, mineral fertiliser (NPK), cow and pig slurry at three application rates (50, 100 and 200 m 3 /ha). The objectives were to investigate the nutrient treatment effects on: (i) soil extractable K (SEK) (using a ammonium acetate solution), (ii) herbage K concentration and K offtake, and (iii) the long-term K balance. Cow slurry provided significantly greater K inputs than pig slurry. Thus, the concentrations of SEK increased for the cow slurry treatments, but decreased significantly for the pig slurry, NPK and control treatments. The decrease in SEK was greater with soil depth. Increasing slurry rate had a positive effect on the concentrations of SEK and herbage K. The low rate of pig slurry had a herbage K concentration less than the required critical level. High rates of cow slurry led to luxury consumption of K which increases the risk of herbage cationic imbalance that could trigger tetany for livestock. Assessment of the long-term partial K balance revealed a K deficit for the NPK and pig slurry treatments, however high rate of cow slurry had a large K surplus. Refinement of nutrient management should carefully balance K inputs and losses to avoid K deficiency and excessive K inputs to grasslands.

Introduction The preservation of genetic diversity of horticultural crops is essential for modern agroecosystems that face pressure from climate change and the intensification of crop production. Methodology In the present work, the nutritive value, chemical profile and bioactive properties of four Greek onion local landraces were investigated for the first time. The tested genotypes included three local landraces originated from the region of Thiva, one landrace collected from Evoia, as well as one commercial cultivar which was used as the control treatment. All the genotypes were assessed in terms of nutritional value, chemical composition and bioactivities. Results and discussion Our results indicate a high variability in the nutritive value and the chemical profile of the studied genotypes, while varied bioactive properties were also recorded. The bulbs of the local landrace ON5 were the richest in polyphenols and quercetin in particular, a finding which was also accompanied by the highest antioxidant activity. On the other hand, the commercial cultivar was the richest in total and individual free sugars, as well as in total dietary fibers and total organic acids, results which indicate a sweeter taste and higher pungency. In conclusion, the studied landraces showed promising properties and they could be further valorized through the implementation of breeding programs aiming to produce new elite onion genotypes with high nutritional and bioactive potential.

The excessive use of inorganic agrochemicals poses risks to both environmental and human health, necessitating the development of sustainable alternatives. This study evaluates the efficacy of a novel organic liquid fertilizer derived from Clidemia hirta and Chromolaena odorata , supplemented with Pongamia pinnata , Phyllanthus emblica , and Carica papaya , on the growth, yield, and root‐knot nematode ( Meloidogyne spp.) control in Basella alba under field conditions. The nutrient composition of the extracts was analyzed, and different concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100 g L −1 ) of C. hirta and C. odorata were tested separately. Growth parameters were assessed using one‐way ANOVA, while the nematicidal efficacy of Azadirachta indica extract was evaluated against root‐knot nematodes. Results indicated that C. hirta at 100 g L −1 (CHM 100) and C. odorata at 75 g L −1 (COM 75) significantly enhanced growth and yield compared to the control and standard treatments. Additionally, A. indica extract effectively suppressed root‐knot nematode infestation in B. alba . These findings suggest that CHM 100 and COM 75 can serve as effective organic fertilizers, offering a sustainable alternative for enhancing crop productivity and pest management in horticulture.

Waterlogging (WL) causes a detrimental effect on soybean, and applicationof potassium (K) is presumed to ameliorate from the damage. An experimentwas conducted to determine the effect of WL on the morpho-physiology ofsoybean, and to assess the role of K in ameliorating the adverse effects onthe crop. Soybean genotype BD2334 was grown under control (withoutWL) and WL in the field. The K fertilizer was applied as K: no K fertilizer,KB: full dose of K as basal, KB+BF0: 50% of K as basal + 50% before WL,K: 50% of K as basal + 50% after the termination of WL. The WLcondition was imposed for 7 days at the flowering stage of soybean. TheWL exerted a detrimental effect on morpho-physiological parameters,yield and yield attributes, and nutrient uptake in soybean. The plants of KB+AFB+AF treatment quickly recovered from the effects of WL stress, had improved photosynthesis (29.38 µ mol m-2 s-1), higher pods plant (27.67),number of seeds plant (51.67) and healthier seeds (27.39 g per 100seed)compared to the control treatment. UnderWL conditions, BD2334produced1.06 t grain ha-1 with basal K application and the yield rose to1.45 t ha-1 -1in the treatment K as 50% basal + 50% after WL termination(K). Additionally, the grain nutrient absorption was enhanced by K asKB+AF under WL conditions. The relative contribution of K managementon grain yield was 17.62%, which reveals that it is possible to increasesoybean yield by modifying K management under WL conditions. Ann. Bangladesh Agric. 29(2): 1-23

Green gram is an important native pulse crop extensively cultivated across South and the Southeast Asia. It serves as a significant source of plant based protein, especially for vegetarian populations. Heavy reliance on inorganic fertilizers alone has accelerated micronutrient depletion and environmental degradation, ultimately threatening the sustainability of diverse cropping systems over time. Considering the simultaneous challenge of preserving soil health and improving input-use efficiency, the evaluation of integrated, environmentally sustainable nutrient management strategies becomes imperative. Hence, the present study was designed to examine the effects of organic manures, chemical fertilizers, and cow based bioformulations on nutrient content and nutrient uptake in green gram. Therefore, this field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2023 at Research Farm, Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Mahendergarh, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The experiment consisted of total nine treatments T₁ (Control), T₂ (RDN through FYM), T₃ (RDF + 5.0 t FYM ha⁻¹), T₄ (75% RDF + 7.5 t FYM ha⁻¹), T₅ (RDN through Vermicompost), T₆ (RDF + 2.5 t Vermicompost ha⁻¹), T₇ (75% RDF + 5.0 t Vermicompost ha⁻¹), T₈ (Cow based bio formulation), T₉ (RDF) that were laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The results demonstrated that the integrated application of RDF + 2.5 t VC ha-1 (T₆), significantly improved nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake in green gram as compared to sole organic, cow based bio formulations and the control treatment, but statistically at par with other integrated nutrient management treatments and RDF alone. Overall, these findings underscore the effectiveness of integrated nutrient management practice of RDF + 2.5 t Vermicompost in enhancing nutrient use efficiency of green gram cultivation.

Seed priming is a seed treatment approach performed before sowing that has garnered considerable interest recently because of its ability to enhance seed germination and initial seedling growth. Gamma radiation pretreatment is one of the priming methods widely used by researchers for various purposes in many different plant species. However, studies on the response of Lupinus albus L. (white or field lupine) to gamma radiation have been limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of gamma radiation priming on germination and initial vegetative growth of L. albus . For this aim, L. albus seeds were irradiated with a cesium‐137 (137 Cs) gamma radiation source (820 Gy/h) at doses of 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 Gy (gray). Germination and initial seedling growth parameters were examined in M1 plants (first plants/seedlings grown from irradiated seeds). The responses of germination and initial seedling growth attributes to gamma radiation were different, especially in a dose‐dependent manner. The results indicated that the germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index, and seedling vigor index (SVI) varied between 90.0% and 100.0%, 1.73 and 1.62 days, 5.68% and 7.55%, and 1842 and 2383, respectively. Compared to the control treatments, the highest increases were observed in shoot length (14.41%), shoot fresh weight (9.14%), shoot dry weight (10.18%), shoot dry matter (9.82%), and shoot water content (1.43%) in 75, 75, 200, 200, and 75 Gy treatments, respectively. On the other hand, compared to the control treatments, the highest decreases were observed in root length (20.61%) and root fresh weight (26.97%) in 50 Gy treatments. Although there was a 6.25% increase in root dry weight in the 200 Gy treatment, this increase was not statistically significant compared to the control group. The highest increase in root dry matter (RDM) and decrease in root water content (RWC) occurred in the 50 Gy treatment with 20.11% and 1.48%, respectively. The highest increase in RDM and decrease in RCW occurred in the 50 Gy treatment with 20.11% and 1.48%, respectively, compared to the control group. The research results showed that the applied radiation doses caused an increase in germination and SVI. However, it encouraged shoot growth in seedling growth while limited root growth. Gamma irradiation priming (75 Gy) may be used to enhance germination and initial vegetative growth of L. albus at the M1 generation.

Reactive nitrogen (N) deposition has increased in southern China, potentially influencing forest carbon and water exchange processes. Cunninghamia lanceolata dominates as the most extensively planted and economically fast-growing timber species in subtropical China, but how C. lanceolata would respond to increased N deposition remains incompletely understood. In this study, we analyzed the responses of water utilization to increased N deposition at a manipulative experiment with N addition in a C. lanceolata plantation. Four treatments were established including N addition of 25 kg ha-1 yr-1 (N1; low concentration), 50 kg ha-1 yr-1 (N2; medium concentration), 100 kg ha-1 yr-1 (N3; high concentration) applied as NH4Cl solution, and control treatment (CK). Results showed that N3 treatment significantly increased leaf N content. N3 treatment enhanced intrinsic water use efficiency as evidenced by leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C), and leaf-level stomatal conductance as indicated by leaf oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O). Similarly, N3 treatment enhanced sap flux density (Js) and canopy stomatal conductance (Gc) of C. lanceolata during growing season. However, N1 and N2 treatments exerted minimal impacts on Js and Gc, suggesting there existed a dose-response relationship between external N input amount and Js (or Gc). Moreover, high-level N addition enhanced the sensitivity of Js and Gc to vapor pressure deficit and photosynthetically active radiation. Overall, C. lanceolata are more likely to enhance resource acquisition ability, and exhibit higher water consumption under future scenarios of increased nitrogen deposition.

Asthma is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease in childhood, associated with high morbidity and impact on quality of life. The clinical variability of symptoms can make diagnosis difficult, making a detailed analysis of the clinical profile essential for proper management. The clinical and epidemiological profile of children diagnosed with asthma who were followed in an immunoallergology outpatient clinic of a university hospital was obtained. This was an observational, retrospective, and descriptive study, conducted through the analysis of 30 medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with asthma. Demographic variables, initial symptoms, allergic comorbidities, family history, hospitalizations, laboratory tests (total and specific IgE, immediate reading skin test), spirometry, and instituted treatment were evaluated. The data was organized in spreadsheets and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The average age of the patients was 7.6 years, with a predominance of illnesses. The most frequent symptoms were recurrent dry cough, wheezing, and exertional dyspnea, with functional impact such as school absenteeism. A family history of allergic diseases was present in 76.6% of cases. A high prevalence of allergic comorbidities was observed, suggesting atopic march. Patients with positive allergy tests showed greater clinical severity and a higher number of hospitalizations. Spirometry revealed mild to moderate obstructive ventilatory disorder in part of the sample. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids showed good clinical response and satisfactory adherence. The findings demonstrate the predominance of asthma with an allergic component, highlighting the importance of specialized follow-up, environmental control, and appropriate treatment for disease management and quality of life improvement.

Viral microRNA Inhibition Enhances Antiviral Immunity by Modulating Corneal Inflammatory and Resolution Pathways in HSV-1 Induced Keratitis.

People who experience various traumas often develop peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs). Currently available strategies are insufficient to fully recover nerve damage. Plants are used to treat a variety of illnesses. In this study, we investigated the possible effect of Betula utilis on the restoration of muscle function following an injury to a peripheral nerve. Here, we treated PNI by using bark extract from Betula utilis. First, 32 healthy albino mice were equally divided into 4 groups. Bark extract (orally) at varying concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) was assessed for two weeks. Behavioral assessment and histology of vital organs were performed for the dose adjustment. Afterwards, for sciatic nerve injury, 32 mice were equally divided into four groups: Control and sham (groups 1 and 2, treated with normal saline) and treatment groups (groups 3 and 4, B. utilis extract, 25 and 50mg/kg). Behavioral analyses assess sensorimotor recovery. All observations were analyzed statistically at a p-value of p<0.05. Behavioral analyses depict an improvement (statistically significant) in the treated group as compared to the non-treated group. Serum samples analysed for oxidative stress markers showed statistically significant (p<0.05) results for TAC (Total antioxidant capacity) and TOC (Total oxidative stress) in the treated groups. In summary, B. utilis extract improved sensorimotor function restoration, and to determine its appropriateness for people, more research is necessary.

Pre-curing treatment optimises the grain growth of high-performance Na super ionic conductor-type Na3V2(PO4)3 thin films for sodium-ion batteries.

Investigation of the effects of resveratrol, lutein, and crocetin on ARPE-19 cells induced with oxidative damage by H2O2.

Esculetin attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity: Evidence from gene expression, enzyme activity, and molecular docking analyses.

FeS2 nanozymes@halloysite clay nanotube/polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate composite hydrogel for hemostasis and bacterial-infected wound healing.

Virtual Intervention for Binge Eating (VIBE): Study protocol for a user-informed mobile intervention for dysregulated eating and weight gain prevention in adolescents.

Lantana camara mulch as a highly effective weed control treatment and motivation for vegetation management

Soil degradation and water scarcity are considered the main challenges that are faced the agricultural production, particularly with changing climate. The objective of this study was to study the effectiveness of alum in improving some soil chemical properties using two qualities of irrigation water . The experimental study was conducted in the Anbar Governorate / Al-Khayrat district in the fall season in degraded clay loam soil. The experimental design for the study site was the split- Block arrangement with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. This study included two factors: the main factor was water quality with river water (1.8 dS m-1) and well water (3.8 dS m-1), and the secondery factor was alum application with eight levels (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 %) based on dry soil. The results showed that pH, EC were decreased by 12.7, 65.1%, respectively when applied 0.8% of alum at the irrigation of river water and decreased by 11.9, 61.4 %, respectively when applied 1.0% of alum at irrigation with well water as compared to control treatment. While an increase occurred in CEC of about 20.0 and 19.8% at the irrigation of river and well water, respectively as compared to control treatment.While the addition of all levels of aluminum sulfate (alum) led to a significant effect on the available nitrogen in the soil and the biological yield when treating alum a5, which reached 48.6% and 48.50, respectively.

Plant health is regulated by complex consortia of soil microbes with growth-promoting and pathogenic functions. In potato production, various soil management practices are undertaken to boost yields and suppress diseases, but connections between these practices, soil microbiomes, and tuber yields have not been characterized across diverse growing regions. To identify growing practices and microbes associated with increased yields, we established four-year field trials across eight US sites from Oregon to Maine that consisted of controls, fumigations, organic amendments, and mustard incorporations. Amplicon sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) regions was used to investigate bacterial and eukaryotic soil microbiomes, respectively. Fumigation and organic amendment treatments increased tuber yields in 23% and 29% of treatments relative to controls. While soil treatments influenced both microbiome types differently across all field sites, eukaryotes were more sensitive than bacteria to all treatments. Across field sites, soil treatments impacted relative abundances of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) to varying degrees, even among ASVs belonging to the same genus. Associations between ASVs and tuber yields similarly varied within genera, highlighting the lack of consistent yield-associated taxa across US growing regions. Nevertheless, forty-five “target ASVs” across nine bacterial and three fungal phyla were identified as both treatment-impacted and yield-associated within any particular field site. Models identified three of thirteen organic amendment scenarios and one of thirteen fumigation scenarios where increased relative abundances of specific target ASVs accounted for up to a 23% increase in tuber yields compared to control treatments. These ASVs were largely site-specific and not influenced by treatment-associated changes in soil nutrients or organic matter, highlighting complex relationships within field sites that require further study to achieve the goal of implementing sustainable, microbiome-informed potato production techniques.